Isaiah looked nervous. “It’s a lie.”
“You don’t know what a mistake it will be when he—” Just then, Matthias clutched his hands to either side of his head and a ragged scream escaped his throat. He collapsed to his knees.
“Matthias!” I ran to his side and grabbed his shoulder. I looked at Declan whose brows were drawn tightly together.
“What’s wrong with him?”
“I don’t know. Matthias, what the hell’s happening to you?”
Matthias turned and clutched my upper arms so tightly I thought he was going to break them off from the rest of my body. The next moment Declan was there, pushing him away from me.
“It’s Kristoff.” Matthias looked as if he’d seen something that scared him. “He’s being awakened right now. I can clearly see it in my mind’s eye. I can see his mind, everything, every thought that’s going through his head. It—it can’t be stopped now. He’s drank the blood of a dozen human sacrifices. He’s covered in it. It fills his mouth, his hands, his senses—the smell, the taste, the feel—he’s awake. And he can see me, too, right now . . . and he wants to kill me.”
Goose bumps had broken out all over my skin. I didn’t like seeing him like this, filled with pain and fear. I much preferred the cocky, powerful vampire king to be totally in control of himself, but this—this was despair. Defeat. All because of something he saw in his head. He had a psychic connection to his twin brother. That sounded scary as hell to me.
He blinked hard. “It’s already gone from my mind. It shuttered off as if he didn’t want me to see any more of his plans. The—the bond is stronger than it ever was before.”
“He’s free,” I said. It wasn’t a question.
“What I’ve been trying to prevent all of these years, it was in vain. Kristoff is king again and every vampire currently in existence must follow his rule if they don’t want to be hunted down and brought in front of him to face his wrath. This is only the beginning.” He slowly got to his feet and, looking drawn and terrifying, he loomed over Isaiah. “You would really side with him over me?”
Isaiah shook his head. “I side with whomever is king. I have no choice.”
“No, I suppose you don’t. And neither do I.” He glanced over at Jade. “I need your dhampyr’s blood to heal my recent injuries.”
Isaiah’s jaw tensed. “If I give her to you will you let me live?”
“Yes, you may live.”
“Then take her. Take anything you want. Kill her if you have to.”
Matthias didn’t hesitate. He went toward Jade, grabbing her arm tightly. Jade let out a frightened shriek that didn’t sound human.
“You can’t kill my mommy!” Patricia screamed and she moved like a pale streak through the room.
I watched in shock. “No, Matthias! She has a knife!”
But it was too late.
The girl launched herself at him and plunged the knife deep into Matthias’s back. He growled in pain, let Jade go, and swatted at the child vampire. She fell to the ground in a tiny heap.
Matthias swore loudly and reached backward to grab the knife and pull it out, a mirror of what Isaiah had done only minutes ago.
Jade cowered away from him, reaching out for Patricia.
“Come here,” she cried.
“He’s a bad man.” Patricia was back on her feet, grabbing for the discarded knife. Despite her small size she looked like a monster ready, willing, and able to kill.
Declan snatched her right out of the air by the back of her blouse as she jumped toward Matthias again, this time aiming for his chest. She hissed at him and instead tried to stab him with her weapon, but he grabbed it out of her hand and threw it to the side before placing the child firmly on the ground.
“Behave yourself,” he growled.
Isaiah crawled over to her. “I’m sorry, your majesty. Patricia shames us all, both with what she did to your friend, and what she’s tried to do to you.”
Matthias glared at him. “There are more important things than this to deal with right now. I’ll heal.”
“No, she must be punished immediately.”
I saw him snatch the knife off the ground. The next moment I heard a sharp, bloodcurdling scream and then saw a small burst of fiery ash.
There was absolute silence in the room for several moments as I registered with horror what he’d done.
A keening wail filled my ears. Jade scrambled forward, gathering Patricia’s ashes in her hands. Tears streamed down her cheeks. “You bastard! You murdered my baby!”
Isaiah looked at her with pity. “She wasn’t your baby. She was and always has been an abomination that never should have been allowed to—”
And then he was gone as well. As the ashes cleared, I saw Declan standing there, stake in hand, a look of redhot fury replacing his normally cool, stoic gaze.
“Declan—” His name caught in my throat.
“That fucking monster killed that child.”
“She wasn’t a child. She was old—a vampire, just like the others.”
Declan dropped the knife and squeezed his eye shut. “This is what comes from me helping a vampire in the first place.” He opened his eye and pointed at Jade. “You cannot drink her blood, Matthias.”
Matthias straightened his shoulders even though it looked as if it caused him pain. His new wound would take a little longer to heal. “Don’t you understand? My brother is awake now. You know what this means.”
“I only know what you’ve told us.”
“It’s the truth.”
“You really believe that all that stands between you and the power to stop Kristoff is forcing this dhampyr to give her your blood?”
Matthias’s expression turned icy. “That’s exactly what I believe. And if you stand in my way there will be repercussions.”
“I’ll stop Kristoff myself,” Declan snapped.
“You can’t.”
He frowned. “How can you sound so fucking sure about that?”
“Because he’ll have power over you, dhampyr. And he won’t hesitate to use it.”
“Power over me? Why?”
“Because he’s your father.”
I felt as frozen as when Isaiah mentally influenced me. How did Matthias know that? I hadn’t told him. He was already gone when Dr. Gray shared that information with me.
Declan reacted to this as if he’d been punched in the stomach. He even took a step backward. “What the fuck did you just say?”
“Kristoff was Monica’s lover twenty-nine years ago shortly before I imprisoned him. Her
only
lover. He kept her on a tight leash and his jealousy was not something anyone would have wanted to face. I’m certain that you’re his son.”
Declan’s gaze shot to me and he looked confused by the bleak look he must have seen on my face. He didn’t speak for a moment. “Did you know this?”
My stomach sank. I’d wanted to tell him, but it never seemed like the right time. I should have told him anyway. “I didn’t want you to find out like this.”
“You knew?” His voice was barely audible.
I felt ill. “Noah needs help. Now. Please, Declan. Anything else can wait.”
I ran to Noah’s side and sank down beside him. His pulse was weak. His forehead felt cold and clammy. His throat was open and ragged and bleeding profusely. I wasn’t sure if he was unconscious or if he simply didn’t have the strength to keep his eyes open.
Declan crouched beside me and checked Noah’s vitals before shaking his head. “There’s nothing we can do for him.”
“No.” I felt like hyperventilating. “He can’t die.”
“He’s already lost too much blood.”
“We have to do something. What are we supposed to do without him?”
Declan looked at me and there was a strange set to his gaze. “Noah lies here bleeding to death after you drag him into this mess, and all you care about is that when he dies he won’t be able to help us anymore, is that it?”
I struggled to breathe. “I didn’t mean it like that.”
I didn’t. I wasn’t being a mercenary. It wasn’t all about my needs, my problems. I cared about Noah deeply, but he
was
an integral part of this puzzle. I hadn’t given up yet—on myself, on Declan, on anything. And I wouldn’t give up on Noah, either.
But Declan didn’t seem to understand that. He stood up, leaving me on the floor.
“I’m sorry about your friend,” Matthias said. “But it changes nothing. Kristoff needs to be stopped and I need the blood of this dhampyr. Will you stand in my way?”
Declan hissed out a long breath. “If you kill her, or harm her, I swear I’ll break you in two.”
He left the room without another word.
I didn’t move or speak, but I turned away, clutching onto Noah’s still arm as I heard Jade’s fear-filled shrieks a few seconds later. I didn’t cry. I felt numb and shaky as I tried desperately not to hear the sickening sucking sound as Matthias fed on the woman’s blood. It took all my concentration not to let myself vomit.
Matthias’s hand on my shoulder a few minutes later made me jump. I looked up at him expecting his mouth to be bloody, but it wasn’t.
“It’s okay,” he said. “I’ve taken all I need.”
I swallowed. “She stopped screaming.”
He looked over his shoulder. “She fainted, but she’ll be fine.”
“Did it work?”
“I don’t know yet. But thank you, Jillian. If it wasn’t for you, this wouldn’t have happened. I owe you for this.”
I nodded, crossing my arms tightly over my chest, feeling sick to my stomach. “Can I take you up on that favor right away?”
He eyed me. “Of course. What do you want?”
I looked down at Noah, who’d only an hour ago been so concerned for my well-being that the idea of me being in pain had upset him. There’d been a couple of times when I thought he was my enemy, someone who’d betray me at a moment’s notice, but he wasn’t like that. He was a good kid, and he didn’t deserve any of this.
And yes, I’d admit it. I still needed him around because of his head for research and his knowledge of all things Nightshade and dhampyr.
Steely resolve filled me, giving me some well-needed strength.
I didn’t want to do this. I didn’t want to ask for this. But I had no choice.
I looked up at Matthias. “I want you to turn Noah into a vampire.”
9
THERE WAS SILENCE AFTER MY REQUEST. FOR A MOMENT, all I could hear was the rapid pounding of my heart.
Matthias’s jaw was clenched. “Noah didn’t ask for this.”
“He can’t ask for this. And he’s going to die any minute if you don’t help him. You said you owed me, and this is all I want.”
He looked down at Noah. “This is exactly what I’ve avoided, making more of my kind. I’ve only sired a handful of fledglings in four hundred years. A vampire in their early days is difficult to control and their newfound power can go to their heads. Their thirst can overwhelm them. Already weakened like this, he might not survive it. He might be better off if you just let him die.”
My stomach felt like it was tied into knots. “Are you saying you won’t do it?”
“Are you sure of this, Jillian? I warn you, the results may not be what you’re hoping for.”
I sniffed and ran my hand under my nose. “In a choice between life and death, I choose life. For myself and for the people I consider family. Noah’s one of them. So yes, I’m sure.”
He nodded. “Then wait for me outside.”
My eyes widened. “You’re going to do it?”
“Yes. Now go before I change my mind.”
At that moment I was certain right down to my core that this was the right decision. I cared deeply for Noah and I wanted him to live. I remembered what Meyers had said in the motel parking lot. He’d wanted to be sired by a king so he’d be strong. Matthias was a former king. That was good enough for me.
Noah would be strong. He’d be okay. He’d survive this.
There was no other choice.
Declan waited outside the room, past the archway and thirty feet down the long, dim corridor I vaguely remembered being dragged along by one of the vampires who was now just a bad memory. I slowed as I got closer to him. He wasn’t looking at me with an ounce of friendliness at the moment. There was grief on his face.
Seeing him displaying noticeable emotions like this was more unsettling than encouraging at the moment.
“You should have stayed in the car,” he hissed at me.
Tears burned at my eyes, but I forced them back. “But I didn’t.”
“No, you didn’t.”
“It’s going to be all right.”
“All right,” he repeated. “You think this is all right?”
“We found Jade.”
“She’s insane.”
“Well, yeah. There’s that.”
“And now she’s emotionally damaged from seeing her adoptive family murdered before her eyes.”